


illicit affinity.

by xiiaeo



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Historical, M/M, Royalty, hints that jeongcheol is a thing, huehuehueh, lowkey angst, one homophobic character (not an svt member), or was, seokmin is a peasant, soft, soonyoung is a prince, soulmate, they have long hair!!, very lowkey tho, you can see where this is going
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-01
Updated: 2018-07-01
Packaged: 2019-05-31 19:07:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15125990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xiiaeo/pseuds/xiiaeo
Summary: Seokmin felt the weight and warmth of the words quash any of his previous anxieties and he became filled with the desire to kiss the other, moving in slowly and stopping centimetres from the other’s lips, “May I kiss you, Your Highness?”Soonyoung swallowed thickly, thinking that the question and the formality of it should not have affected him as much as it did, “You may.”





	illicit affinity.

**Author's Note:**

> Design by TENDER ☆ [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/track/3iswFT9N2WM8f1PICubpoc?si=WTE3AKnhRHiH0LakADGeCA) ☆ [Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlHD5AswEDs) ☆

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS WILL BE THE LONGEST AUTHORS NOTE FOR THIS STORY SO PLEASE KINDLY READ IT ALL! <3 IT WILL BETTER YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THIS UNIVERSE/TIME PERIOD AND GIVE YOU A NICER READ, THANK YOU.
> 
> I've hit a slump for icy incandescence ;; so this happened lmao
> 
> Don't forget some of em have long hair!! If you have seen any historical kdramas, that's what they look like in this :)
> 
> Key words;  
> \- BONE RANK SYSTEM  
> The system of noble rank used in Silla  
> \- SACRED BONE  
> The highest of the bone rank system, a Sacred Bone is eligible to assume the throne  
> \- TRUE BONE  
> The rest of the royal family as well as other nobles  
> \- HWARANG (Flowering Knights)  
> An elite warrior group of male youths in Silla. They had educational institutes where they studied the arts, culture and religion. They were known to be beautiful.
> 
> I should probably mention that the love soulmates feel for each other is magnified by a lot.  
> <3

**_This is a work of historical fiction which merely borrows the setting and time period of The Three Kingdoms of Korea; Baekje, Silla and Goguryeo. While I do have knowledge of the actual history, this is fiction and not in any way historically accurate._ **

********

 

**_A.k.a. This is fiction my boyos, i ain't tryna give y’all a history lesson, enjoy :)_ **

 

━ᕕ━

 

_The fountains mingle with the river_

_And the rivers with the ocean,_

_The winds of heaven mix for ever_

_With a sweet emotion;_

_Nothing in the world is single;_

_All things by a law divine_

_In one spirit meet and mingle._

_Why not I with thine?—_

 

_See the mountains kiss high heaven_

_And the waves clasp one another;_

_No sister-flower would be forgiven_

_If it disdained its brother;_

_And the sunlight clasps the earth_

_And the moonbeams kiss the sea:_

_What is all this sweet work worth_

_If thou kiss not me?_

_\- Love’s Philosophy, Percy Bysshe Shelley_

━☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

Seokmin had never had a place to call his own or anyone to return to. For as long as he could remember it had been him and him alone bouncing from village to village just to get by. The village he had settled in most recently was tucked away in a forest clearing on the outskirts of the Kingdom, a small cluster of buildings stood next to one field for farming. It was quaint and quiet and no one seemed to care that he wasn’t from around there. The people were nice to him and he received shelter at the small orphanage present in the village.

 

Seokmin lived there for around a month, not forming any real attachment to the place and merely enjoying having a relatively warm place to sleep. He would also do work on the farm and be paid in food rather than money. It was an arrangement Seokmin liked even if it was still him and him alone.

 

The night before his twentieth birthday Seokmin went to sleep the same as any other night, curled up on a hard wooden surface with rags pulled tightly around him. Hours later, instead of waking up shivering, Seokmin woke up warm, suffocatingly warm.

 

Opening his eyes he saw angry hues of red creeping up the material of the building while thick smoke stuck to the roof. Seokmin shot out of bed and ran to wake the other orphans, sending them out of the building with loud shouts.

 

When Seokmin finally left the building himself he realised it wasn't an accident, their whole village was sporting the same nasty hues. He felt as if his lungs were burning and collapsing like the buildings surrounding him. He dropped to his hands and knees while trying to cough up the ashen taste clawing at his throat. 

 

He couldn't see the orphans anywhere and hoped that that meant they had ran. Seokmin let himself fall to lie on his side, curled up pitifully in front of the building he had called his home while watching the flames steal the lives of the friendly villagers.

 

His coughing had been reduced to dry heaving and he vaguely registered that the colours of the village matched those of the sky. It was dawn and it was his birthday.

 

Seokmin had heard of soulmates. They were extremely rare but not abnormal and the chances of the two meeting were unlikely, but not unheard of. The pair would receive the others name on their wrist upon turning twenty, inked into the skin forever. 

 

Seokmin had never cared for such things, but maybe because his whole world was being taken from him again, he decided to let his eyes wander to his hands lying limp on the ground before his face. 

 

On his right hand wrist there lay a single word covered by a thin layer of ash. Seokmin cradled his own wrist gently and wiped the ash away, revealing the name of his soulmate in disbelief.

 

**‘** **_Soonyoung._ ** **’**

 

Seokmin had never learned how to read or write, but he  _ knew  _ the name etched into his skin was the name of the Crown Prince of Silla, Kwon Soonyoung.

 

He released an unamused breath. Why was the world so cruel to him?

 

A sword glinted in front of him as two men came into view, probably the two that set the village alight, Seokmin thought. He couldn't run for his limbs felt too heavy and he felt as though he was filled with smoke. It seemed like the wielder was about to strike him until the other man stopped him and crouched down to look at Seokmin’s wrist.

 

“Are you the Prince’s?”

 

Seokmin didn't reply, not because he didn't want to but because he couldn't. The ash in his system made his voice come out as a hoarse harsh whisper against the crackling of the flames.

 

“So  _ this _ is where they've been hiding you!”

 

Seokmin didn't know what they meant, he's never once met anybody of royal status. The two bandits talked amongst themselves before hoisting Seokmin up and tying his hands together behind his back. They dragged him to a wooden cart and threw him in the back, shutting and locking the door with presumably a wooden beam.

 

He lay there on his stomach, too weak to roll himself over, before falling asleep again to the sound of animated chatter and a frantic village while the cart pulled away.

 

━ᕕ━

 

The next time he opened his eyes he saw a wooden floor and heard his stomach growl in anger at not being fed. The cart had been travelling non-stop which lulled him back to sleep every time he would awaken due to hunger or thirst, but it had now halted and Seokmin strained to listen to the conversation taking place outside.

 

He caught snippets of the exchange.

 

_ “Where’s your license?” _

 

_ Nervous laughter followed by an excuse. _

 

_ “You should have it with you at all times. What do you sell?” _

 

_ “Anything and everything, Sir.” _

 

_ “Could we have a look?” _

 

_ “Oh no, I’m sure nothing we have would interest His Highness.” _

 

His Highness?

 

_ “That’ll be for me to decide then, won’t it?” _

 

Seokmin heard shuffling and presumably people bowing to His Highness and apologising for assuming. Footsteps got closer to the back of the cart and Seokmin tried to roll over again but his body wasn’t cooperating. He heard shouting and running; an order for them to be captured from His Highness.

 

The door to the cart was opened and Seokmin simply lay there while he heard a gasp and hasty movements while someone entered and untied his hands. He used his now free hands to roll onto his side and cradled his bruised wrists in front of his face, forgetting someone else was there until they spoke up.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

Seokmin looked up, locked eyes with him and felt like time stopped. The feeling seemed to be mutual as the other looked just as frozen in place. Seokmin stared at the other’s face, admiring the way the morning lighting made small shadows across his features in the darkness of the cart, before dropping his gaze down to look at his clothes.  _ Royal. _

 

“Your Highness…”

 

Seokmin’s hand tightened around the name etched into his wrist, but it was noticed by the owner of that name. A gentle hand came to uncurl Seokmin’s fingers from around his wrist and Seokmin felt like he had been electrocuted at the skin contact, the feeling was mutual again as the hand hesitated before gently tracing over the name on the bruised skin.

 

“What’s your name?”

 

His Highness was kneeling next to Seokmin, his other hand resting in his lap where the sleeve covered his whole arm up to his fingertips. The other obviously knew that Seokmin knew what his name was, and that that very same name was decorating his wrist.

 

Seokmin panicked. The Prince wasn't just a prince but the Crown Prince and he was already betrothed to a Princess from another Kingdom (Seokmin liked to eavesdrop.) He refused to ruin the other’s life just because a name appeared on his flesh overnight. There’s more than one Soonyoung in the world, right?

 

“Dokyeom.”

 

His Highness looked like his whole world had been shattered yet his face showed no emotion, Seokmin could see it all from just his eyes and felt weirdly like he could actually see the other’s soul.

 

He stood up, Seokmin’s wrist slipping out of his grip, and dusted his robes off. He left the cart for a moment and then returned to where Seokmin had managed to sit himself against the wall of the wooden cart. A small bag was placed in front of Seokmin and the latter took it curiously and opened it, avoiding the concerned eyes of His Highness.

 

When Seokmin untied the string holding the pouch shut he was expecting to see some bread at the most, maybe some fruit since it was from the Crown Prince, but he was definitely  _ not _ expecting several gold coins to fall out onto his lap accompanied by small clinking sounds.

 

He snapped his gaze up to the other immediately and hesitated a moment before speaking, staring into the other’s eyes slightly starstruck, “I can’t take this, Your Highness.”

 

The other smiled at him, “It’s the least I can do for  **_you_ ** _.” _

 

Somehow Seokmin understood the other’s tone and just bowed his head in thanks while placing the coins back into the pouch delicately. Someone shouted to the Crown Prince and he replied before looking back to Seokmin with a thousand words swimming in his mind.

 

_ “You know where to find me.” _

 

That cryptic sentence was the last thing Seokmin heard for a few days while he hiked to the next village. Once the Crown Prince and his royal guard had left with the criminals, Seokmin had sat inside the cart for a while more, tracing over the flesh of his wrist where  _ his _ touch still lingered. 

 

Upon hopping out of the cart Seokmin had nearly broken his ankle tripping over a basket. Peeling the fabric off of the top revealed enough food to keep Seokmin alive for at least a few days, along with a note written in the most beautiful handwriting Seokmin had ever seen.

 

The only problem was, he couldn’t read.

 

━ᕕ━

 

His life had returned mostly to how it was before he settled in the village. Seokmin was bouncing around the country scavenging for pity and ultimately food. The supply he had been given ran out after a few days like he thought but Seokmin kept the basket to carry his belongings in. 

 

He had returned to the torched village after his abduction and rescue to scavenge anything that remained in his small allotted place at the orphanage. The only item remaining out of the very few he possessed was a string necklace with a small plate of metal dangling in the middle. Seokmin had secured it around his neck before walking away and never looking back.

 

He had no idea where he had ended up but he was beginning to notice a switch in the general populous of the place. Some were more well-off, silk robes and vibrant colours flowing around their meandering bodies while others still wandered around in rags like Seokmin himself. 

 

He guessed it had been around one long week since the fire fiasco and he'd been travelling in the same direction ever since, towards the sun. Seokmin trekked ahead when it rose before him, and settled down to rest when it loomed behind.

 

In the basket that the Prince had left him with, Seokmin kept some stale bread, a blanket three times too small to cover even his curled up figure, and some of the remaining coins from the Prince.

 

The handwritten note was kept tucked snug against his chest in his tattered breast pocket.

 

From the change in attire to the mud paths becoming gravel roads, Seokmin knew he had ended up closer to the capital, perhaps  _ in _ the capital; closer to where  _ he _ was. He wondered if fate was playing cruel games with him. His heart wanted nothing more than to be reunited with the other but his head knew that wasn’t right. He hadn’t even seen if his own name was scrawled along the other's flawless skin.

 

Seokmin figured that the other wouldn’t like him anyway. His skin wasn’t pearly white but rather a soft bronze shade from years of being kissed by the sun, and his hair was not sleek nor very long. It often took on an ashen texture due to nights spent sleeping by roadsides where kicked up dust chose to settle on his sleeping form. 

 

He didn’t know how to read or write and was definitely not even considered as an option for the Prince to choose from, not that the latter got to choose anyway. Marriages between royalty were strictly for political reasons, if love was formed between the couple then that was just immensely lucky.

 

Seokmin came to an abrupt halt when a taller but presumably younger boy blocked his path. The boy gave Seokmin a sweet eye smile before shoving colourful garments into his arms and bolting down a winding alleyway. Seokmin looked at the clothes in his arms in confusion before realising what had just happened.

 

“Stop! Thief!”

 

A middle aged man was pointing at him while advancing to his position and Seokmin started to shout reasoning back at him before realising it wouldn't work anyway. No one would believe he wasn't the thief when he was stood there holding the robes in his arms. Seokmin took off after the tall boy who was already out to have him beheaded.

 

He discarded the clothes onto a random assortment of fruits and ran after the small blur ahead of him, ignoring the shouting behind him entirely. He hadn't survived as long as he had without stealing here and there, avoiding angry weathered men quickly became one of his specialities.

 

The tall boy was clearly a local and knew where he was heading, Seokmin could tell from the way his sharp turns around the stalls showed no hesitation. This was unlike Seokmin himself who was falling over his own feet and repeatedly whacking his own legs with the basket as he pursued the other.

 

Their chase through the labyrinth of a market ended and Seokmin was confident that the aggravated man was no longer following them. The actual thief had trailed off to the embankment and appeared to be pulling weeds from the cracked soil.

 

Seokmin took a moment to catch his breath while he walked over to the other, “Hey, you could've gotten my hand chopped off for that and you're just here doing some gardening like you didn't just commit a crime?”

 

Who was he to lecture the other? Maybe it was because the thief was so thin in comparison to Seokmin, he felt some form of responsibility for him.

 

He didn't get a verbal answer, instead the tall boy craned his neck from his crouched position and gave Seokmin a scathing look. Lips drawn into a like and eyes delivering a sideways glance, he held the look for a moment before returning to weeding.

 

Seokmin scoffed, “Hey, I’m talking to you.”

 

This time he didn't get a look but earned a sentence, “I don't have to listen to you.”

 

Seokmin blinked, offended, and yanked the other boy up to his feet, “I’m older than you, right? Apologise for being so rude.”

 

“I’m sorry,” the deadpanned face the taller gave was not convincing in the slightest, “Now leave me alone.”

 

He shrugged Seokmin’s hand off of him and returned to the displeasing plants. To say Seokmin was shocked would be an understatement. He was openly gawking at the other boy and stomped away in a huff, having nothing more to say and knowing in the back of his mind that anything he said would have been argued against anyway.

 

He continued heading deeper into the village, basket dangling from his fingers and steps a little more cautious. Seokmin tried his best to avoid the market stalls in fear of more cunning boys trying to frame him for stealing. He wandered to the aroma of fresh bread, buying a loaf with a single gold coin and dropping it into his basket after ripping some off with his teeth.

 

No one paid attention to him, he remained unquestioned and proceeded through the town in a calm manner. It was this air of unimportance that perhaps made him become too overlooked, causing a someone to run into him and knock them both over. 

 

People crowded to help the other up while Seokmin scrambled to collect his basket and rise to his feet. The one who caused the accident scowled at him, a harsh expression which contrasted to the flowing silk gown adorning his figure, “Aren't you going to apologise? Do you even know who I am?”

 

“You should apologise for knocking Young Master Seungcheol over, peasant.”

 

Seokmin scoffed, uncaring of the rigid hierarchy and placing it below standard morals, “ _ He _ ran into  _ me _ , so  _ he  _ should apologise.”

 

A chroused shocked gasp resounded from Seungcheol’s posse, the Young Master regarded him with a raised eyebrow, “Apologise if you want to keep your back  _ lash  _ free.”

 

“How about you apologise unless you want a fight?” Seokmin replied calmly, fully ready to attack the other in the name of justice for himself against the noble.

 

The provoked young master was about to reply before another voice coming from behind Seokmin cut him off, “Why don’t you pick on people your own size, Seungcheol?”

 

Some of the females surrounding the scene swooned at the intrusion of the newcomer, and when Seokmin turned around to find the source of the voice he understood why. The other male was admittedly one of the most handsome people he had ever seen, and Seokmin thought he himself was quite the looker.

 

“Why don’t you stay out of other people’s business, halfie?”

 

“I have a name.”

 

“I don’t care to know it.”

 

The two bickered back and forth while Seokmin stood behind ‘halfie’, forgotten until he felt a small tug on the back of his shirt. When he turned around it was the tall thief from earlier, Seokmin gave the other a look of confusion and distaste but the tall boy just held his finger up to his lips and pulled Seokmin away from the commotion. 

 

They reached a small hut-like house surrounded by many well-trimmed plants. Seokmin smelt lavender and peppermint on his way into the homely atmosphere. The other sat down on the wooden deck outside and Seokmin took the initiative to do the same while he waited for the other to talk.

 

“I’m sorry...for earlier,” he voiced quietly.

 

Seokmin showed a reassuring smile, “It’s okay, but if you’re going to steal  _ at least _ do it properly.”

 

The other laughed quietly, “I got a pain in my side so I didn’t think I’d be fast enough.”

 

“You almost managed to outrun me, you definitely could’ve gotten away with it.”

 

He pouted, “Aw, you’re right.”

 

Seokmin patted the other on the back, “We can always go back tomorrow.”

 

His eyes lit up, “You’ll help me?”

 

“Of course,  _ if _ you tell me your name.”

 

The other replied without a beat of hesitation, “Minghao!”

 

Seokmin told Minghao his own name and then tried to pronounce the other’s name several times without success, earning a fit of giggles from Minghao who tried to correct him many times, “Ming. Hao.”

 

“Ming..hao, Minghao! ...Minghao? You’re not Korean, are you?”

 

Minghao replied through his giggles, “No, I’m from Yan and I got to Silla recently.”

 

“Yan?”

 

“It’s very north of here, and then you go west and then south.”

 

“So it’s west.”

 

Minghao looked affronted.

 

“Did you come by boat?”

 

“I walked.”

 

“For how long?”

 

Minghao held up his fingers, “Three months.”

 

Seokmin stared at the other with shock evident on his features, “ _ Three months? _ Why? Why did you come all the way here?”

 

Minghao shrugged, “My family moved here.”

 

“Why would they move  _ three months walking distance  _ away  _ impulsively?”  _

 

“All we did there was farm on the rice fields.”

 

“So what do you do here?”

 

Minghao remained quiet and Seokmin rested his face on his hand and spoke in an unamused tone, “You’re rice farmers here too, aren’t you?”

 

“We didn’t know what it would be like when we set out!” Minghao huffed, resting his face in his drawn up knees.

 

“Wow, you walked for  _ three months _ and nothing changed.”

 

“Shut up.”

 

“Hey, who taught you such rude words anyway? Actually, how are you so good at speaking this language?” Seokmin shifted so he was sitting cross legged facing the other.

 

“Chan, he’s a very good teacher so I learned quickly. I still don’t understand big words though.”

 

Seokmin shrugged, “You know more than enough to have a normal conversation so I don’t think you should worry. Most people here don’t understand big words, me included.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

A comfortable silence surrounded the pair for a few moments until Seokmin spoke up, “Did you know that guy from earlier? Seungcheol?”

 

Minghao nodded, “Yes, he’s a Hwarang like Jeonghan,” he continued once Seokmin questioned who Jeonghan was, “He’s the one they called halfie.”

 

Seokmin knew what the Hwarang were as tales of the beautiful men of Silla were a hot topic amongst the women of every village he visited. Thinking back he presumed Jeonghan was a Hwarang for his looks and Seungcheol was a Hwarang for his skills, but that was just his opinion.

 

“Why do they call him halfie?”

 

“He’s half peasant and half True Bone,” Seokmin’s face gave away his thoughts to Minghao, “Exactly, it’s unheard of so they make fun of him for it. He was also chosen to be a Hwarang even though he isn’t fully True Bone.”

 

“Woah, he must be really skilled then?”

 

Minghao gave a mysterious curl of his lips, “Or there’s something else.”

 

“What?”

 

He crossed his arms, “I have my theories.”

 

A groan came from the doorway behind them where a shorter boy emerged from behind the thick curtain door, “I wish I never taught you the word ‘theory’, don’t pollute his mind with your nonsense.”

 

“I wa--what does  _ pollute  _ mean?”

 

The boy rolled his eyes and sat in between Seokmin and Minghao, he offered a small bow to the former who returned it, “I’m Chan, the amazing teacher.”

 

Seokmin smiled, “I’m Seokmin but it sounds like you’ve been listening to our conversation anyway.”

 

Chan nodded in a careless manner, “It’s hard to sleep when people are sharing life stories outside your door.”

 

The trio continued to do just that for the rest of their morning, interrupted only by a metal kettle screaming at them to remove it from heat. They migrated into Chan’s area in the material house and the conversation took a turn towards Seokmin.

 

Chan said, “Why are you here then? I’ve lived here my whole life and never seen you around before?”

 

Seokmin shrugged, “I’m an orphan, I just wander around all the time.”

 

Minghao returned from fetching their tea with his hands free of the warm beverages, and instead full of gold coins, “Seokmin?”

 

“Holy shit,” Chan sprang to his feet to inspect the gold, “Hao, where did you get this?”

 

“It was in Seokmin’s basket.”

 

Two pairs of curious eyes stared at him in wonder, “It’s none of your business.”

 

Chan gawked at him, “You’re an orphan with a fistful of  _ gold coins _ , I think we deserve an explanation?”

 

“I don’t think you do.”

 

“Did you steal them? We won’t tell anyone else,” Minghao whined.

 

“No, I didn’t.”

 

“Then how?”

 

“It doesn’t matter.”

 

Seokmin stared at the other two with a challenging look from his seat on the floor. His resolve only wavered when he saw a glint pass through Chan’s eyes along with the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.

 

“What?”

 

The two standing boys shared a look before launching themselves at a defenceless Seokmin, cheeky hands exploring his body swiftly, tickling him.

 

Seokmin was torn between laughing and crying but he did the former while begging them to stop. An evil voice spoke out from behind him, “We’ll stop when you tell us about the coins.”

 

“Stop!”

 

Everything stopped.

 

“Will you tell us now?”

 

“....No?”

 

It resumed.

 

“Okay! Okay, okay! I’ll tell you! Just please stop!” Seokmin managed between ragged laughs.

 

The duo stopped their ministrations and Seokmin was finally allowed to know which limbs belonged to him. Chan was behind him, holding his arms behind his back and Minghao was sat in front of him, looking as innocent as ever.

 

“You can let go of me now, I’ll tell you,” Seokmin tried to free his arms from Chan’s hold.

 

“Nope, this is a precaution, and so you can’t run.”

 

Minghao poked him with a small twig he found on the floor, “Tell us.”

 

“Fine, but seriously I need my arms back to show you something.”

 

Chan reluctantly let go of Seokmin and moved to sit next to him rather than behind. Seokmin unwrapped the scrap piece of material he had tied around his wrist to reveal the name that made him freeze on the spot, again.

 

**_‘Soonyoung.’_ **

 

The other two were just as frozen in place while staring at the inked skin, Minghao reached out to touch it and Seokmin thought it didn’t feel anywhere near as nice as when Soonyoung himself had touched it.

 

Seokmin wrapped it back up in silence and then awaited their imminent questions. Chan was the one to start the curiosity wagon, “Is that Soonyoung as in Crown Prince Soonyoung?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“How do you know?”

 

“Because I met him and I just know.”

 

They both squawked, “You  _ met _ him?”

 

Seokmin sighed and told Minghao to bring the tea, then began telling the tale of how his village was burnt down and how he was abducted before being rescued by the Crown Prince. He told them how it was Soonyoung who gave him the basket and the coins, and he even told them about the note. Seokmin felt strangely like he could trust the other two boys, and hoped that they could be his first actual friends. He took the parchment out of his breast pocket, “Can either of you read?”

 

They stared at the swirling symbols with a seriousness that Seokmin didn’t think they were capable of, but he appreciated it nonetheless. Minghao pointed at one of the symbols, “This one means ‘love’ and I can’t understand the rest.”

 

“‘Love’? He ended it with love?”

 

Minghao nodded, “This last part after the ‘love’ is probably just his name, but it doesn’t look like the characters on your wrist?”

 

Seokmin sighed and wished the other had just spoke the words to him rather than writing them down. He put the note back into his pocket safely and then snapped his gaze up like a startled hare, “You two...don’t think it’s weird that we’re both boys, right? Me and Soonyoung?”

 

Chan shrugged, “Doesn’t really matter to me, many nobles have males as lovers along with their wives, though I don’t think the Crown Prince would be allowed one? I’m not an expert in noble affairs, though.”

 

Seokmin nodded and looked to Minghao, the latter looked indifferent, “I didn’t even think about the fact that you are both boys, but you can’t change your soulmate anyway so,” he shrugged.

 

Seokmin’s panic subsided just in time for the pretty boy from earlier to step into the house and blink at him in confusion. Seokmin offered a timid wave which was confusedly returned.

 

“Jeonghan,” Chan began, “this is Seokmin, Seokmin this is Jeonghan.”

 

Jeonghan nodded, “We met, briefly. Did Seungcheol hurt you? You’re okay?”

 

“I’m fine, he just knocked me over,” Seokmin smiled at the other to prove his words and Jeonghan nodded again, more to himself that time.

 

Chan questioned, “Why are you wearing a scarf?”

 

Jeonghan looked down at the thin material around his neck, “I was cold.”

 

The three younger boys gave him a skeptical look after glancing at the blazing sun outside and the eldest was quick to shift the conversation topic, “Why is there a stack of actual gold coins on the table?”

 

Seokmin rolled his eyes and took the conversation starter out of sight, slipping the metal discs back into his basket while Chan and Minghao told the story to Jeonghan animatedly. The older boy actually looked somewhat scared when he asked Seokmin, “May I see it?”

 

Seokmin complied and showed the mark to Jeonghan who gasped and then sprinted out of the house, which Seokmin had learned was actually Jeonghan’s house. Seokmin quickly wrapped the name back up and looked at Chan and Minghao in confusion. The latter pair looked just as puzzled as Seokmin. Chan gently steered the conversation to more trivial matters and for the rest of the afternoon the incident was quickly forgotten while Seokmin felt what it was like to have real friends who didn’t speak to him just out of pity.

 

━ᕕ━

 

He ran away from the trio and headed for the palace, straight hair whipping in the wind while onlookers gave him weird looks. He arrived at the palace grounds and fetched a cloth to mask his face with. No one in the palace aside from his mother and her General knew his face and she had made it very clear that he kept it that way.

 

Jeonghan had found his own way to get into his mother’s chambers a long time ago, back when he was first cast out. If he was found he would not be punished for being there since all the servants knew his stature but not the reason why he was expelled from the palace. To them he was still of a higher rank but he had a tainted status which they all knew of. It was the Queen’s orders that he be considered non-existent to all Royal Guards and personnel, so if they saw him they would do just that.

 

The two ladies standing guard at his mother’s door didn’t even bat an eyelid when he approached, lower face covered with thin material and body adorned with flowing robes. He entered the room gracefully and knelt metres away from his mother’s perch.

 

“I told you I don’t want to see such a disgraceful sight again.”

 

His mother’s words hurt, but they would hurt his brother even more, “I know, Your Majesty.”

 

“Why are you here, filth?”

 

Jeonghan kept his head down, gaze stuck to the patterned carpet, “I have a request, Your Majesty.”

 

“What makes you think you’re in the position to even dream of requesting something from me?”

 

“It’s about Soonyoung, Your Majesty.”

 

For once she hesitated before replying, “What about my son?”

 

Jeonghan sucked a breath in and prepared for the backlash his words were sure to receive, “If he were to become like me,”  _ if he is also fated to be with a man,  _ “would you cast him out too?”

 

The Queen rose to her feet and commanded for Jeonghan to do the same, so he did. She took long strides to reach him and delivered a sharp slap across his material-clad face, “I could have you hung for treason for suggesting something so insufferable upon the Crown Prince. Leave this palace now, you  _ disgrace _ .”

 

Jeonghan bowed his head to his mother and exited the room without making a sound. He stalked his way back through the courtyard and out of the palace grounds, ripping the suffocating material off of his face. His body was on autopilot while his mind was preoccupied with thinking the worst for his brother, and when he realised where he had ended up he let out a bitter scoff.

 

Nonetheless he still marched up to the door and knocked, requesting  _ him  _ when a servant opened the door. She reappeared alone, “He’s sleeping.”

 

“At midday?” Jeonghan rolled his eyes and pushed past the woman, taking confident strides to the master bedroom hidden at the top and back of the fancy building.

 

When he entered the room, the one whom he had been seeking was not sleeping, but was stood at the window either waiting or uncaring. He turned around to face Jeonghan, smug smirk dropping off of his face the instant he saw the other’s silent weeping.

 

He took swift steps to reach Jeonghan, “What happened? What’s wrong?”

 

Jeonghan didn’t move to meet the other halfway across the grandiose room and was thankful when he was enveloped in a strong embrace. His desperation and pain came out as a choked plea for help against the shoulder of the one who held that name.

 

“Seungcheol, it’s Soonyoung.”

 

“What about him?” Seungcheol rubbed soft circles into the silk stretching over Jeonghan’s back.

 

“He’s like me.”

 

━ᕕ━

 

Seokmin woke up the following day in a heap of unconscious boys. The trio had chatted for the rest of the day following Jeonghan’s sudden exit, stopping only to eat the food Chan’s mother prepared. Seokmin had learned that Jeonghan and Chan were brothers but they only shared the same father, even Chan doesn’t know who Jeonghan’s mother is.

 

Chan had explained to him that Jeonghan’s mother must be a peasant, as their father is a True Bone and Jeonghan is only considered half True Bone. Seokmin had learnt that Chan himself was a True Bone, but was too young to be taken seriously or considered as a threat to the other nobles, so he was free to frolic around with Minghao. 

 

Chan’s father obviously knew who Jeonghan’s mother was but he would never tell anyone who asked, stating that it was none of their business and not his place to tell. Whenever Chan had questioned Jeonghan on the matter, the latter had just refused to answer and left the situation, so Chan quickly learned to steer clear of the topic.

 

Seokmin had woken up due to Minghao shifting around in their pile while trying to detach himself, “What are you doing?”

 

The boy from Yan hurried his movements, “If I’m not home before sunrise Junhui will kill me.”

 

“Ah, you better hurry up then,” Seokmin said, gesturing to the morning rays creeping through the scruffy curtains. Chan and Jeonghan’s father is the best physician among all in the capital yet he lived like any other peasant. Dirty pots littering all surfaces and most clothes worn and rugged.

 

Minghao dashed out of the door, leaving Seokmin with a now awake Chan who questioned him the second his eyes opened, “Is Jeonghan here?”

 

Seokmin looked around while answering, “I don’t know? I just woke up too.”

 

Chan sighed in annoyance and sat up, leaving Seokmin to stretch out on the wooden bed, “I’m sorry for how he acted towards you yesterday, he’s a bit skittish at times.”

 

Seokmin glanced at Chan with indifference, “It’s fine, that’s kind of the reaction I expected to be honest.”

 

“Why?”

 

“I just didn’t think you would be accepting of me being with a boy when I’m a boy.”

 

Chan stood up and began fixing his hair into place, “I don’t see why I shouldn’t be? It’s your life and it’s none of my business, well it wasn’t my business until yesterday because now we’re friends.”

 

“We’re friends?”

 

Chan looked at Seokmin like he had grown a second head, and then smiled, “Of course? Now come with me, there’s a parade today and you can’t be before the Crown Prince looking like you’ve been crawling around in the field.”

 

Seokmin squawked while Chan yanked him through the house, “We’re going to see Soonyoung?”

 

“Soulmate or not you can’t call his name so casually, it’ll get you into trouble before it gets you anywhere useful,” Chan scolded while throwing fabrics in Seokmin’s general direction.

 

“Noted,” Seokmin said lowly, catching the flying garments, “So, what is this parade for?”

 

Chan hesitated before slowly saying his response, “It’s for the Crown Prince to show off his...wife to be...the Princess from Baekje.”

 

Something in Seokmin twisted at the thought of Soonyoung being with someone else and it seemed Chan saw it on his face, “Hey, it’s not his choice, you know? The Queen decided it for him. I’m sure there’s no feelings involved.”

 

Seokmin replied bitterly, “Not like I care.”

 

Chan gave him a dubious look, “He’s your  _ soulmate _ , it’s normal to not want him to be with anyone else.”

 

“What if he loves her?”

 

Chan put the clothes down in a huff and shut the closet, “He’s a year older than you, he’s had your name on his wrist for a year already.”

 

“So you’re saying he stopped caring?”

 

Chan rolled his eyes, “I’m saying that he probably doubted it a few times, and he’s the Crown Prince anyway, he doesn’t get to decide who he marries. He’s probably only met the Princess once or twice.”

 

Seokmin shrugged.

 

“Anyway, put those clothes on and meet me outside.”

 

━ᕕ━

 

Seokmin had stepped out of the house wearing the clean, brown fabrics and walked into the town with Chan. As they strolled the other pointed things out to him and explained the quirks of the town before taking him up a narrow dirt road, towards the fields.

 

“I promised Minghao I’d pick him up along the way, he hates going to things like this with Junhui.”

 

“Why?” Seokmin questioned, kicking at pebbles on the rough terrain.

 

“Junhui always hangs around with one of the popular Hwarangs, who hangs around with the older Hwarangs, who intimidate him.”

 

“Are they mean to him?”

 

“Nah, only the assholes. The others think he’s cute but he hates being called cute and treated like a kid all the time, so he just prefers to hang around with me.”

 

Seokmin kicked a trusty pebble too far out of reach and mentally sighed, “Fair enough.”

 

Minghao came bounding out of a small house towards them like a very literal bundle of energy, and when Chan enquired as to why he was so hyper he enthused, “Junhui wasn’t even there when I got home, so that meant I wasn’t late and I didn’t get into trouble.”

 

“That’s good,” Chan smiled, “But where is he then?”

 

“Already at the parade with Wonwoo?” Minghao guessed, “Who cares? Let’s go!”

 

The trio marched back down the dirt path. Chan and Minghao explained that Junhui and his family had travelled from Yan with Minghao’s, and then they explained Wonwoo. Young Master Jeon Wonwoo is the son of two True Bone parents and one of the older Hwarangs. There were rumours circulating that he had a younger brother but he refuted it, and so the gossip subsided quickly.

 

“I swear I’ve heard the name Wonwoo before,” Seokmin muttered aloud.

 

“Probably,” replied Chan, “He’s quite well known for being good-looking, intelligent, a great swordsman and humble about the lot.”

 

Seokmin gave a slight nod of his head to acknowledge the words and weaved through the masses of people gathered at the edges of the capital’s main road. Merchants had quarrelled about the location of their mobile stalls, desiring theirs to be closest to the parade street to make money off of the efflux of citizens after the event ends. 

 

The parallel lines of strangers followed the winding dirt road for as long as Seokmin could see, taking collective pity on the small children and allowing them to the front of the crowd, closest to where the procession would soon be.

 

Chan noticed Junhui stood on the opposing side of the road and waved after muttering to Seokmin about having spotted the button nosed teen. Minghao scrunched his nose at the other, “I don’t know what Wonwoo sees in him.”

 

Seokmin raised an eyebrow and looked at the other over Chan’s head, “What do you mean?”

 

“They’re a  _ thing _ ,” Chan exposed flatly.

 

“We  _ think _ ,” chimed Minghao.

 

Seokmin hoped he didn’t sound stupid for the assumption, “They’re together?”

 

Both shushed him in unison, the shorter voicing, “Don’t say it out loud, they’re in denial.”

 

Seokmin shifted his eyes to observe the boy waiting patiently at the other side of the road. He was tall and he looked genuinely happy to be stood waiting for a horde of people to parade past without paying him or anyone any real attention.

 

They heard a distant horn blare to announce the start of the parade. Seokmin waited anxiously with a strange sense of ease slipping through his system every time he imagined seeing Soonyoung again, but he didn’t let that show.

 

Petals old and new were tossed into the clear street where the feet of the procession would march, ready to be crumpled and ignored. Chan had led them to a place relatively near the start of the parade and Seokmin was glad when the golden palanquin finally came into view, even if only just the tip.

 

Rows of guards stomped ahead of the Royals with what Seokmin figured must’ve been the Hwarang, judging by the presence of Jeonghan and Seungcheol, behind them. His gaze flickered over to Junhui at the other side of the road to try infer who Wonwoo was from the other’s centre of attention, but the masses of bodies moved past too fast and allowed him no real opportunity to study Junhui’s quiet eyes.

 

When the palanquin was within a twenty foot radius of Seokmin, he made the mistake of glancing towards the inhabitants and locked eyes with Soonyoung, the Crown Prince. 

 

His soulmate.

 

The two didn’t separate their gazes even as the palanquin drew nearer and the Hwarang’s further. Seokmin vaguely registered the Princess from Baekje sitting to Soonyoung’s left, sporting a hue seemingly paler than even the whites of one’s eyes with hair as dark as the night sky, vacant of the twinkle of the stars.

 

Seokmin heard the metallic scrape of a sword being unsheathed before it was thrusted in his direction while the cavalcade came to a halt, the poor souls holding the palanquin straining in the summer heat, “Show your respect to Crown Prince Kwon Soonyoung!”

 

At the command Seokmin finally drew his gaze away from Soonyoung’s longing stare and realised that everyone else had their heads bowed, even after the halt of the procession and the threat of a sword.

 

Seokmin’s panicked eyes were drawn naturally back to Soonyoung’s to seek calm but that of course did little to help the situation, and he found himself quickly shoved to his knees while two guards stretched his arms outwards and backwards. He still didn’t bow his head until it appeared he was going to receive a beating or a lash for treason where he then flinched away in fear.

 

Before any harm could befall him an authoritative tone ordered, “Stop.”

 

Everything froze. Seokmin lifted his face again to start at the source of the instruction, to stare at Soonyoung.

 

The Crown Prince was assisted in his descent from the palanquin and only had to take three steps to stand before Seokmin in his robes of red and gold, a stark contrast from the kneeling mud-brown before him. With a small hand gesture from the Crown Prince, Seokmin’s arms were released and all guards stepped away from him, but remained close enough under the pretence that his desire was to harm the Crown Prince.

 

Seokmin felt the sudden urge to comply when he saw the desperate look Soonyoung was casting down at him, and so he performed a full bow before the other, forehead resting on the cracked soil.

 

He heard the Prince shuffle back slightly before clearing his throat, “Rise.”

 

Seokmin did as told, following the command of the hesitant voice, a hesitation only he seemed to notice. He kept his head down until velvety fingers hooked under his chin and lifted his gaze back to meet the other’s tentative stare.

 

Seokmin became hyper aware of the steady beating of his heart, feeling his pulse push against the soles of his shoes and tickle the interior of his clothes. He didn’t want to look away and he could  _ feel _ that Soonyoung thought the same; a deep understanding that could only be shared between those two sets of eyes. 

 

Soonyoung seemed to be trying to affirm something through the prolonged eye contact while Seokmin could only think of his rising heart rate and shallow breathing, the feeling of Soonyoung’s fingers caressing the tender skin where chin meets neck tinting his ears red. 

 

After what seemed like the first blink he ever did, Seokmin snapped out of it and realised they were in front of  _ hundreds of people _ , and that the Crown Prince’s future wife was  _ right there _ . He ducked down swiftly, feeling the other's hand slip from his chin to slide along his cheek and through his hair before Seokmin disappeared from his grasp completely, landing on the floor in a full bow, “I’m sorry Your Highness! Please forgive me!”

 

Seokmin continued on in a frenzy, not having a hard time expressing his desperation for forgiveness as he merely moulded the longing his heart felt for Soonyoung into his public display of apology, coming to a clean silence when he heard Soonyoung’s definitive voice, “You’re forgiven.”

 

He thanked Soonyoung profusely for his benevolence while the other climbed back onto the palanquin without casting a look down at his other half. The guards scooped Seokmin off of the floor and shoved him back into the crowd of onlookers where he was caught by Chan and Minghao, who still kept their heads down even after bracing his weight.

 

The parade continued and Soonyoung was led further away on the shoulders of the unfortunate subjects carrying the palanquin. People began to raise their heads again once royalty was no longer present, and Seokmin saw that some people were definitely staring at him very openly. 

 

It seemed Chan had noticed too as he took Seokmin’s hand and led him to meander through the crowd behind them. Minghao’s hand latched onto the back of his shirt as Chan pulled them all through the offended horde, leading them away from the parade and towards the fields they had visited before to collect Minghao. 

 

Chan’s tone of voice was not that of annoyance but rather came out as a sigh of disbelief. He let go of Seokmin’s hand after coming to a casual lean on an unstable fence, “Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

 

Seokmin shook his head lightly but was preoccupied with staring vacantly into the golden field without actually taking in the scenery. Chan rolled his eyes and waved a hand in front of Seokmin’s face, “Hello? Seokmin?”

 

“What?” Seokmin snapped in startled confusion.

 

“You almost got yourself publicly executed?”

 

Seokmin gave a nonchalant shrug using his shoulders and hands too for emphasis, “Oops?”

 

Chan dragged a hand over his own face, “You’re unbelievable.”

 

“I always wondered why the Crown Prince covered his wrists,” came a small voice from behind Seokmin. Minghao was still holding onto the back of his shirt, “I know people always say that it’s because he has a soulmate, but now I think it’s true.”

 

The older pair looked at him in mild confusion at the sudden topic change, Chan replied to the youngest, “If there’s a name there, it makes complete sense for him to cover them with those fabrics.”

 

Minghao nodded and looked out at the field with determination, “You know who else always covers their wrists?”

 

The others shared a look and then glanced back to Minghao.

 

“Jeonghan.”

 

Chan cracked his knuckles before tackling Minghao to the floor with a sudden bout of tickles, “I told you to stop making conspiracies against Jeonghan.”

 

“I don’t understand what that means!” Minghao said between laughs, feigning innocence and ignorance as a foreigner.

 

Chan gasped at the audacity, “You know full-well what that means!”

 

Seokmin watched the two scrap with a strange fondness. He poked at the tumbling pair with his foot, “Hey, can we get back to talking about my current problem?”

 

“What problem!” Minghao laughed, still being assaulted.

 

“My overly-dramatic yet non-existent love life.”

 

The pair broke up at that and shot to their feet with a dusty dirt cloud following their sudden movement. Seokmin smiled in amusement at how invested they are in his affairs.

 

Minghao cleared his throat, “I think the Crown Prince definitely has your name on his wrist too.”

 

“What makes you say that?” Seokmin enquired.

 

“Well he, you know,” Minghao turned to Chan to reenact the scene to Seokmin. He lifted Chan’s head up, which actually made the other look at Minghao’s neck and not his eyes, but the latter ignored that, and gave Chan a meaningful stare. Seokmin thought it did look rather intimate despite the comedic height difference and the disgust on Chan’s face. Minghao continued, “You wouldn’t just touch a random, disrespectful peasant like that for fun in front of hundreds of people.”

 

“Did you just call me a disrespectful peasant?”

 

“You didn’t bow your head to the Crown Prince,” Chan pointed out.

 

“Soonyoung  _ made _ me look at him!” Seokmin stressed, only to be whacked on the head by a cautious Chan.

 

“I told you not to call him by his name! And that was only  _ after _ you had already stared him down and got dragged to the floor by guards.”

 

Seokmin rubbed his head and raised a threatening hand to Chan to hit him in retaliation, but he didn’t actually carry out the action, “He still wanted to look at me.”

 

“You’re insufferable.”

 

“Hey guys,” Junhui said as he walked over to them with a wave, popping out of nowhere and startling the trio.

 

They shared friendly greetings and Seokmin and Junhui were finally introduced to each other with smiles before Junhui noticed the state of Minghao, “Oh my God, why are you so dirty?”

 

Minghao looked down at his now mud-stained clothes and gave a sideways glare to Chan who had shoved him to the floor in the first place, “It’s his fault.”

 

“I don't care whose fault it is, you’re still going to be the one to wash it.”

 

“That’s not fair!”

 

“It’s not fair to make your mother wash it every time either, is it? She’s getting older and working in the fields doesn’t exactly improve the state of a bad back, nevermind doing laundry on top of that,” Junhui scolded and Minghao pouted.

 

“Okay…”

 

Junhui smiled, eyes creasing at the sides, “Good.”

 

The four engaged in light conversation as they headed towards Minghao and Junhui’s house to have some lunch, Seokmin’s very internal struggle forgotten over the food. Once Seokmin had finished his small meal he voiced, “Do any of you know how to get into the castle?”

 

Junhui choked on his bread, an outlier to the riveting story of Seokmin’s current predicament, and Chan whacked him on the back until the retching stopped while replying, “I think if any of us know anything about the castle, it’ll be Junhui.”

 

After gulping some water down, Junhui finally regained the ability to breathe smoothly, “Why me? And why do you want to know?”

 

“Because you’re always with Wonwoo and he goes to the castle a lot, he must tell you some things, and also because…” Chan trailed off and looked to Seokmin, who looked hesitant, “You can tell him, he won’t tell anyone else.”

 

“Tell me what?”

 

Seokmin sighed and recounted the tale of his twentieth birthday, including everything from the burning of his village, to his first encounter with Soonyoung, and to today at the parade, careful to not miss the detail of the name on his wrist. Junhui, like Seokmin thought, didn’t ask to see it and Seokmin appreciated that the other trusted his tale.

 

After absorbing the story, Junhui then asked his question again, “So, why do you want to get into the castle?”

 

“I want to see it.”

 

“...See what?”

 

“My name on his wrist.”

 

Minghao gawked, “I think it’s obvious that it’s there.”

 

Chan agreed, “Going into the castle for that is ridiculous, if anyone sees you you  _ will _ be killed.”

 

Seokmin went quiet in the judgeful silence and hugged his knees up to his chin, “I want to check…”

 

Junhui got up with a huff and returned with a big piece of thin parchment, a bottle of ink and a brush. He unrolled the parchment and got them to hold it down to prevent it from curling back up, “Right. Wonwoo has told me some things about the castle, but I’ve never been interested to ask for greater detail.”

 

He began to draw a big rectangle and then filled it in with smaller squares and winding lines, small annotations next to the boxes were added with a smaller brush he made Minghao fetch for him, “I don't have a clue about which room is where, but I know the wall around the castle is the lowest here,” he pointed, “if you actually plan to climb in. Wonwoo told me once that he was shocked that there’s only about five guards patrolling the grounds once it’s dark, but there’s more lining the walls and in the watchtowers. It’s best for you to go at night.”

 

“How will I get out?”

 

Junhui put the brush down, “That’s for you to figure out once you’re in there.”

 

“What if someone sees me?”

 

“Then you’re dead,” Chan replied flatly.

 

“No, help me think of a story. I need a legitimate reason to be there.”

 

“There is no legitimate reason for a peasant to be in the castle,” Chan crossed his arms over his chest, “I don't like this plan, it’s too dangerous.”

 

Seokmin dropped his knees from where they acted as a perch for his chin and crossed his shins, “ _ I’m _ the only one who can find him, he can’t find me because I could be anywhere but I  _ know _ that he lives in the castle. It’s the only way for us to meet.”

 

“You’re infuriatingly stubborn,” Chan groaned with clenched fists.

 

“Thanks,” Seokmin winked, Chan groaned again.

 

Hours passed like that with the other three presenting scenarios to Seokmin who had to think of a solution on the spot. Some of their hypothesised situations were ridiculous while others made Seokmin’s heart lurch. These were the ones which involved him meeting Soonyoung, which the trio seemed to have fun teasing Seokmin with, until Minghao’s imagination ran a little too wild for Seokmin’s liking. 

 

“What if you get in, meet him, and then get shot with an arrow the second you see him.”

 

Silence fell over the group as Seokmin’s expression worsened while he thought out the possibility; it wasn’t impossible but it wasn’t likely. Or was it? To go through all that he’s been through just to finally meet his soulmate properly and then get shot?

 

Chan cleared his throat and stood up, dusting himself off, “Right, we’ll go home now, I can see your parents returning anyway,” he pointed out of the window where two old couples were stalking towards the house, baskets of vegetables in hand, “Come on Seokmin.”

 

“I’m going with you?”

 

“Where else would you go?”

 

Seokmin didn’t answer this and got up to join Chan as instructed. The two said their usual goodbyes to Chan while their parting with Seokmin seemed more strained and awkward. The walk back to Chan and Jeonghan’s house was silent and Seokmin was sent to Chan’s shared room while the other was explaining to his parents that he brought a friend to spend the night.

 

When he walked through the curtain he was met with a sight that both shocked and puzzled him.

 

Jeonghan was lying asleep on his own bed but Seungcheol, the same Seungcheol who had tried to start a fight with him and then continued the squabble with Jeonghan, was sat on the bed looking at Jeonghan with an emotion Seokmin couldn't name. His hands held onto one of Jeonghan’s hands that lay next to his still body, but they instantly let go once he heard the fabric of the curtain being pulled back. Seungcheol shot to his feet and stared at Seokmin with the same shock that Seokmin was filled with. No words were exchanged between the two, only challenging looks as they both tried to figure out why the other was there. 

 

Seungcheol flexed his fingers by his sides before curling them into fists and leaving the room in four long strides. Seokmin watched Seungcheol leave and then turned back to watch a sleepy Jeonghan who had woken up at the sound of Seungcheol’s sudden departure. Jeonghan looked at Seokmin, visibly paled, and then practically jumped out of his bed with a stumble before presumably following after Seungcheol.

 

Chan entered the room at that point, only seeing Seokmin stood there and Jeonghan fleeing, he asked cautiously “What happened?”

 

Seokmin shrugged, still looking at the doorway the pair had departed from, “I don't have a clue. Jeonghan was asleep and Seungcheol was with him, and they left when I came in.”

 

“Seungcheol?” Chan repeated incredulously.

 

“Yeah. They were holding hands.”

 

Seokmin could see Chan trying to make connections in his brain, but the latter eventually gave up with a shrug and flopped onto his own bed, “You can sleep in Jeonghan’s bed then.”

 

“What if he comes back?” Seokmin asked, cautiously perching on Jeonghan’s bed like the other would receive some form of alert if anyone were to touch the sheets.

 

“He won’t. And even if he does it’s not like we’re going to sleep yet anyway. We only just had our lunch a few hours ago, and mother is cooking dinner now,” Seokmin folded his legs under himself while Chan continued to speak, “Are you really planning on breaking into the castle?”

 

He nodded with firm resolve, “Of course. I want to see Soonyoung.”

 

“You’ve seen him today already,” Chan said through a groan as he stretched his long limbs along the bed.

 

“I want to  _ talk _ to him.”

 

“You did that today, too.”

 

“ _ Without _ hundreds of people there watching.”

 

Chan made a playfully suggestive noise, “Why? What are you planning on doing if you two are alone?”

 

He earned himself a pillow to the face from a flustered Seokmin, “ _ Nothing,  _ we’re going to  _ talk _ .”

 

An eyebrow wiggle, “With your bodies?”

 

Seokmin held his face in his hands, “Oh my God.”

 

“Oh, moaning already? Moving pretty fast, aren’t we?”

 

Seokmin gasped at the cheek, “Chan!”

 

“Not my name you should be shouting, babe,” Chan  _ winked. _

 

Seokmin threw his body down to shove his face into the remaining pillow and muffle a frustrated groan. He immediately snapped back up to glare at Chan, “Don’t you dare.”

 

Chan raised his hands in innocence, “Don’t I dare what?”

 

“Make this sexual!” Seokmin reprimanded, gesturing around the room to refer to his previous actions.

 

“Would I ever!”

 

Now it was Chan who was attacked with tickles until he admitted his wrongdoings to a surprisingly bashful Seokmin.

 

━ᕕ━

 

After wolfing down the late steaming meal that Chan’s mother had prepared for them, the duo headed back to the awaiting beds to sleep. Seokmin waited until he was too restless to continue to lie in silence and then crept out of the room, succeeding in not waking the snoring Chan.

 

He hadn’t changed into any night clothes as Chan had fallen asleep the second he flopped onto the sheets, and Seokmin didn’t have the heart to wake him up just for a change of clothes that he would ultimately discard again anyway. So, Seokmin left the hut in the scratchy garments he had worn to the parade and wandered through the streets, sticking to the routes that Chan had led him down in the daylight. 

 

The capital, Gyeongju, was utterly beautiful at night in a way Seokmin had never had the time to appreciate in his nomadic lifestyle. Usually, he would find a town to settle in and then sleep as much as he could manage while the sun wasn’t beating down on him; he never had the time to wander through night markets and marvel at torchlit alleys.

 

But now, even in his haste to reach the castle as nonchalantly as possible, Seokmin admired the glow of the candlelight against parched wooden beams and appreciated the way people took their steps cautiously as if afraid of awaking the resting village. He found that he couldn’t remember a time he’d felt such peace while doing nothing aside from walking along a dirt path and decided that he liked the feeling of capricious serenity.

 

Some of the locals smiled at him as their paths crossed and Seokmin returned the gesture politely, happy to receive a warm welcome from the lower classes in the capital. Apart from the incident with Seungcheol and being acquainted with friends of other Hwarangs, Seokmin hadn’t had any problems with egotistic nobles and for that he was perpetually thankful. 

 

The people he had met yesterday, his first day in Gyeongju, were people that Seokmin was certain would impact on his life in a bigger way than he was capable of conceptualising as of now. Chan and Minghao had been very welcoming to him and declared themselves as his friends without his consent, not that he would object anyway, and Junhui assisted him in staging his invasion of the castle. Jeonghan was too skittish and unpredictable for Seokmin to form a solid opinion of him, and as for Seungcheol, Seokmin only thought of the elder with disdain.

 

He didn’t need to clarify his opinions of Soonyoung.

 

Coming into sight at the end of a wider, seemingly paved path, stood the castle and therefore Seokmin’s objective; to break into it. As if fate was against him, as skittish as ever, Jeonghan came sprawling out of nowhere and blocked Seokmin’s way forward in a frenzy of limbs, “You can’t.”

 

Seokmin was genuinely perplexed by the sudden appearance of the dishevelled elder, “Can’t what?”

 

“See him, meet him, speak to him ever again. Just leave him alone.”

 

“What are you talking about?” Seokmin raised his voice slightly, somewhat agitated as he understood who Jeonghan was referring to.

 

“Soonyoung.”

 

The very name made Seokmin feel a strange sense of affinity.

 

“I saw everything that happened at the parade. I was at the back of the Hwarangs and I saw  _ everything _ ,” Jeonghan repeated with a desperate venom, like a python at its last stand, “ _ Please _ just leave him alone.”

 

“Why should I?” Seokmin raised, “He’s  _ my _ soulmate!”

 

“And he’s  _ my _ \--”

 

Jeonghan slapped a hand over his mouth rather comically as if he was about to accidentally reveal the secret to immortality, though Seokmin would much prefer to know the easiest method of entering the castle. He stared at the other in confusion and spat out, “He’s your  _ what _ ?”

 

The elder threw his hands up in frustration and let them come back down to his sides with a whack against his thighs, he spoke his words with an anguished relief, “My brother. He’s my damn brother.”

 

Seokmin didn’t understand. Jeonghan is Chan’s brother, Chan’s dad is Jeonghan’s dad, and only the boy himself knows who his mother is. His mother is a peasant as far as Seokmin is aware. That’s why everyone calls him  _ halfie _ ; half true bone, half peasant. Jeonghan didn’t give him time to interject with questions.

 

“And I want you to stay out of his life before you  _ ruin _ it like mine was  _ ruined _ by this  _ bullshit _ ,” on the last word, Jeonghan raised a concealed, bony wrist to Seokmin’s eye level before mildly shuddering like he’d condemned a sleeping deity. 

 

Seokmin still didn’t understand, and stared at the other some more.

 

All of Jeonghan’s strength slipped out of him with a long sigh, Seokmin pitied the unkempt state of mind he was in, “Just go home, Seokmin.”

 

At this though, he scoffed, “Do you really think I’d just go home because  _ you’re _ asking me, halfie?”

 

Seokmin saw Jeonghan try to coil in on himself at the derogatory term and regretted saying it instantly, but didn’t retract his words as Jeonghan is currently the only thing stopping him from getting to Soonyoung.

 

“ _ Please.” _

 

Perhaps it was the desperation in Jeonghan’s voice or the loud plea in his eyes but Seokmin felt the sudden urge to comply, even if just to appease the other. Seokmin cast his eyes to the powdered soil and spoke in a small voice, “I want to see him…”

 

Jeonghan sighed again but this time very relieved at having seemingly won the argument, “I know you do, I  _ completely _ understand, but you cannot see him. Don’t. Please. For him, just please don’t. If you do, instead of the longing you’re feeling now it’ll be replaced with loathing.”

 

“I don’t see how that could happen,” Seokmin countered and received a bitter laugh in response.

 

“Believe me, it can.”

 

━ᕕ━

 

Words were exchanged between the two for what felt like forever for Seokmin who was itching to climb the castle walls and see Soonyoung. Eventually, he promised Jeonghan in a quiet voice, fingers crossed, that he would return to his perhaps temporary home and forget about trying to see Soonyoung. Obviously though, Seokmin simply waited for Jeonghan to be out of sight before he then backtracked towards the castle. 

 

It wasn’t breaking the promise; he had had his fingers crossed after all.

 

Keeping Junhui’s castle map in his mind, Seokmin stalked along the outer walls, sticking close to the concrete surface in the hopes that no one marching along above would be able to see him, and looked for the lowest point that Junhui had pointed out. Various dead twigs jabbed at his exposed ankles, and at some points he had to force his way through the horde of leaves that stuck valiantly off of towering shrubs. 

 

Finally, after stumbling over many rocks and dirt mounds, Seokmin came upon what he felt was a climbable wall for someone of his size. He hauled himself up with his fingers in the cracks between the piled rocks and his fabric shoes were doing little to aid his climb on the rough surface. After a few high swings of his legs, he was able to see over the wall and thanked the high heavens that the drop to the ground wasn’t a large one. Seokmin tossed himself over the barrier and landed with a less than graceful roll in the powdered dirt before righting himself in a low stance.

 

Numerous little huts littered the vast expanse before him with a seemingly modest palace sitting amongst them. Seokmin tucked himself next to a small building, evidently for storage, and tried to once again visualise Junhui’s map. However, the older boy had told him he didn’t know much about the layout inside the walls and Seokmin was therefore left to navigate his way forward alone. 

 

Thieving around a lot since as far back as he can remember, Seokmin came to be very light on his feet and crept around the building without making much of a noticeable sound. He scanned the area briefly before dashing across to press himself against another, larger building, that he guessed may have been for meetings of the nobles. 

 

No matter how much he strangely felt he belonged in the palace, Seokmin could tell that he wasn’t even meant to be within the walls but an ache in his chest made him press on. He was surprised that he had made it so far through the courtyard without seeing a single soul guarding the palace, but his luck took a turn when a guard marched around a corner. Seokmin had been in the middle of bolting to another hut-like building near to the side of the palace and instead had to yank himself back to duck behind a pillar. 

 

He didn’t even breathe until he was sure the man had passed.

 

It turned out instead of completely turning around and going back to the meeting room, in his panic Seokmin had merely ran to the closest inanimate object which just so happened to be a blaringly red pillar supporting a similarly decorated roof; the roof was also laced with gold. Confused, Seokmin looked around his surroundings and saw what he thought to be the palace still a walk away. Then again, Seokmin doesn’t know what sorts of buildings are required for raising and catering to royalty.

 

Curiosity got the better of him, and after ensuring he was completely alone under the night-light, Seokmin scampered to the wooden doors preventing his entry, grabbed the metal ring, yanked it open, and then sealed himself in.

 

Seokmin wasn’t expecting to be met with a thick moisture and many scents circulating in the air. Before him was a staircase which was met by two other identical staircases either side, and the three collectively led up to a second floor no more than two metres higher than the ground he currently stood on. All the oak flooring seemed several shades darker after being slightly dampened by the steam which had no known origin yet. Seokmin was still searching for a vat of hot water when a side door burst open and a flurry of Court Ladies came through.

 

Seokmin sprinted to hide behind a wooden beam and hoped his form would be completely concealed from view. He peeked around when the footsteps of the Court Ladies came to a halt and saw that they were lined up along each side of the right-hand staircase leading to the second floor, heads bowed.

 

Seokmin’s lips quirked in synchronised confusion with his eyebrow, but the expression dropped a measly second later when he came through the door and Seokmin felt his pulse throb painfully in his wrist.

 

**_‘Soonyoung.’_ **

 

The other was in a loose silk gown, secured with a scarlet rope around his waist, and his sleek hair was balled up on top of his head in a regal fashion. Seokmin mentally thought over his own appearance and decided it would be blasphemous to even think about comparing himself to Soonyoung.

 

The Crown Prince walked between the rows of Court Ladies without sparing them a glance, not that the had to, and disappeared through some screen doors on the second floor. Seokmin released a loud breath he hadn’t realised he was holding and then yanked his gaze away in fear of someone having heard him.

 

Seokmin concluded from hearing alone that some of the Court Ladies had climbed the stairs to follow the Crown Prince, while the rest had exited through the same door they entered through. He was now alone in the extensive entry.

 

His heart hammered in his chest as he realised just how close he came to being caught if not for the trusty wooden beam he was currently leaning on, and as he realised that if anyone came through the wooden door he himself had entered through, they would see him right away.

 

Heart yearning for the other, Seokmin leapt up the stairs and peered through a crack in the flimsy doors. The air through the crack was seemingly thicker and it finally hit Seokmin; he was in a bathhouse. A nameless woman approached the door from the other side and Seokmin’s mind went blank.

 

The door opened outward when she pushed on it and so he decided to follow the motion of the curtained door and came to be wedged between it and the wall as the efflux of Court Ladies descended the staircase and, this time, exited to the left.

 

Seokmin was now  _ almost _ completely alone in the building.

 

**_‘Soonyoung.’_ **

 

He sighed in apprehension and sent the door pivoting back around so that he could enter to find the other. Like he observed, the air was thick and warm with evaporated moisture as he padded across the wet timber. An opening in a styled wooden railing was before him and as he approached it he discovered that it surrounded the bath of boiling water that was creating the heavy atmosphere.

 

Slim shoulders and a head tipped back were mere steps away from him; facing away from him. Seokmin froze in place and debated whether to go over to the Crown Prince or whether to call out to him, he decided to do a mixture of the two and took small steps while calling quietly, “Your Highness?”

 

His gaze snapped around to look at Seokmin, causing the latter to halt in place while the former smiled softly, “Are you going to tell me your real name now?”

 

Seokmin remembered that he had told the other his name was Dokyeom in fear of ruining the other’s life. He swallowed thickly and could not find it in himself to form a sentence while staring at Soonyoung’s flawless face.

 

“Come join me,” Soonyoung offered casually, but Seokmin felt it like a warm command. He closed the distance between them and removed his garments, placing them in a heap on the floor before slowly lowering himself into the boiling water next to the Crown Prince.

 

At such a close distance, Seokmin dared not look at the other and so he kept his gaze trained on the wooden wall before them where moonlight leaked in through the purposeful hole in the roof. The sound of water sloshing startled him slightly and forced his attention in the other’s direction, where a bare wrist was now being held out to him.

 

**_‘Seokmin.’_ **

 

After watching Seokmin’s eyes widen and witnessing his breath stutter, Soonyoung asked in a barely audible voice, “Are you still going to insist your name is Dokyeom?”

 

Enamored, Seokmin brought his hands up gently to trace over his own name on the other’s skin and felt the same jolt of electricity he felt when Soonyoung did it to him while rescuing him. He noticed that Soonyoung reacted in a similar way as his fingers twitched slightly and Seokmin caved and told the truth, “My name is Seokmin.”

 

“Why did you lie?” Soonyoung enquired, the slight betrayal in his voice striking guilt into Seokmin’s very core.

 

The younger let go of the Prince’s wrist and spoke sadly, “You are already betrothed to the Princess of Baekje.”

 

“I am,” Soonyoung nodded, missing Seokmin’s skin touching his, “But that doesn’t mean I feel anything for her, as I’m almost certain she does not for me. It’s political and that’s it.”

 

Seokmin could tell that Soonyoung was trying to reassure him but it wasn’t really working, “But I can’t be with you at all. I’m a peasant and I’ll be killed. I should be killed for stepping foot in the palace, nevermind for bathing with the Crown Prince.”

 

“You will not be killed so long as I have a say in it,” Soonyoung ensured and then became more optimistic, “We can think about this later. I’ve waited to know who you are for a year and now that you’re finally by my side I’d rather just treasure it while it lasts.”

 

The simple words make Seokmin feel so special that he couldn’t help but agree, too awestruck to form an articulate reply, “Okay.”

 

Soonyoung slid closer to Seokmin, their bare thighs touching while Soonyoung laid his head onto Seokmin’s shoulder with a sigh of content and caused the latter’s brain to short circuit, “Tell me about you.”

 

“Uh,” Seokmin began dumbly, “I’m an orphan?”

 

“You don’t sound so sure about that,” Soonyoung joked carefully, voice vibrating through Seokmin’s body.

 

“I am. I’m just not sure if that’s the type of stuff you want to hear about me, but I haven’t had a very fruitful life,” Seokmin explained.

 

“Tell me everything,” Soonyoung said gently, and Seokmin complied easily.

 

He began by explaining that he’d lived his whole life in a nomadic fashion and had never formed any true friends or any strong links to any places. He told Soonyoung that prior to his rescue, his village had been burned down and those men had taken him because he had Soonyoung’s name on his wrist.

 

“That’s troublesome,” Soonyoung stated, “I don’t want you getting hurt because of me. Perhaps you should cover your wrist up?”

 

“I do now. It’s just that it was the morning of my twentieth birthday and the mark had only just appeared when they saw it.”

 

“That’s horrible,” Soonyoung frowned, expression evident in his voice.

 

“Yeah, wasn’t the nicest birthday,” Seokmin sighed lightheartedly, “Since then I travelled for a while and ended up here where I made some friends.”

 

Soonyoung smiled at the happier tone that filled Seokmin’s voice as he spoke of his new friends, “Who? Perhaps I know them.”

 

“Young Master Chan, Minghao and Junhui.”

 

Soonyoung hummed, “I know Chan, but not the other two. Anyone else?”

 

“Young Master Wonwoo?”

 

“Ah yes, he’s a good friend. If you need anything, go to him and show him your wrist, he’ll definitely help you,” Soonyoung informed and Seokmin thanked him before listing more names.

 

“Young Master Seungcheol and Jeonghan...I’m not sure of the latter’s title, please forgive me.”

 

Seokmin felt Soonyoung tense at the mention of the latter, “I know those two...How is Jeonghan doing?”

 

“Fine?” Seokmin spoke hesitantly, “I’m not really sure since he’s rather skittish and I’ve only spoken with him twice...May I ask you a question, Your Highness?”

 

Hearing the formality for the first time since the start of the conversation, Soonyoung felt awkward but didn’t question it, “Of course.”

 

Seokmin paused for a while before asking very cautiously, “Is it true that Jeonghan is your brother? He told me himself and it just doesn’t make sense to me? But since his mother is likely a peasant, why would he claim her to be the Queen unless it was true?”

 

“That was three questions,” Soonyoung pointed out before sighing, and was about to speak before the doors swung open.

 

The soulmates stared at each other in a brief moment of intense fear before Soonyoung whispered, “Take a  _ very _ deep breath and hold it  _ please _ .”

 

Seokmin did as told, understanding what the other wanted, and was promptly shoved until the water by Soonyoung. The latter also shoved Seokmin’s clothes into the boiling water and the peasant kept hold of them so they wouldn’t resurface. Seokmin could hear nothing but mumbled tones under the boiling water and the tips of his ears burned at the sudden temperature change.

 

Soonyoung’s hand stayed on top of his head, holding him under the water while he spoke to whoever had entered. Seokmin was quickly beginning to feel out of breath and he grabbed at Soonyoung’s wrist desperately to try and alert him to the fact. A few seconds later, Soonyoung moved his hand and Seokmin resurfaced, heaving for breath and flushed red.

 

“I’m sorry, are you alright?” Soonyoung asked quickly, alert and concerned.

 

Seokmin leaned his head back onto the wooden flooring and continued to breathe deeply, eyes hooded due to the warmness coating his body, hair plastered to his forehead and voice breathy, “I’m fine. Who was that?”

 

“Just a Court Lady,” Soonyoung informed, eyes trained on Seokmin’s breathless state, “I told her to ensure that no one disturbs me until I call for someone.”

 

“Okay,” Seokmin nodded, leaning his head forward to wipe his hands up his face and then push his hair back off of his forehead. 

 

He jolted slightly when Soonyoung’s hand threaded into his locks and did the same combing motion, the Crown Prince now floating in front of him, “Your hair is beautiful. Why is it a dark shade of brown?”

 

Seokmin shivered as Soonyoung continued to brush and remaining strands out of his face, “I’ve spent my life in the sun, perhaps that’s why?”

 

Soonyoung shrugged nonchalantly, “Perhaps. Is there a reason why you keep it short?”

 

“It’s just easier to manage,” Seokmin explained, “I don’t often have a place to wash my hair or anything to comb it with while travelling, so it’s just easier if it is short.”

 

“It suits you,” Soonyoung smiled, retracting his hands after successfully moving all stray strands of Seokmin’s hair out of his face.

 

“Thank you,” Seokmin smiled back softly, “I think it would suit you also, but I like your long hair.”

 

“I don’t think I’d be permitted to cut mine,” Soonyoung pouted, “I’d like to try it someday.”

 

Seokmin nodded in understanding. Having well-groomed hair is a symbol of status and Soonyoung’s comes down to his mid-back with the Crown Prince wearing it up most of the time; kept in a tight bun on his head. Sometimes he has the top half up and the bottom down, but not very often which led to Seokmin’s inference, “You don’t really like your hair long, do you?”

 

“Not particularly. I actually find it quite tasking, like you, but I know mother would not allow me to cut it.”

 

“That’s a shame,” Seokmin commented.

 

Soonyoung hummed but didn’t say any more on the matter. He raised his hands out of the water to decipher the wrinkles in his fingers, “We should probably get out now.”

 

“I don't have any clothes,” Seokmin reminded the other, pointing to the pile of damp clothes on the wood next to him.

 

“You can borrow one of my robes,” Soonyoung suggested without hesitation, stepping out of the water stark naked with Seokmin following suit, “It’s no problem.”

 

When he didn’t get a reply from the younger, Soonyoung turned around to find Seokmin staring at him openly and he smirked slyly, teasing the other, “Like what you see?”

 

“No!” Seokmin replied urgently, eyes snapping up to Soonyoung’s, “I mean yes! But not in a  weird way, I swear!”

 

Soonyoung laughed at his frenzy, “It’s okay to be honest, I like what I see too.”

 

Seokmin flushed at the wink he was given and accepted the small towel handed to him. Soonyoung gave him a dark blue silk robe while he himself wore one in a deep red colour. The pair didn’t exchange any words for a while due to Soonyoung instructing the other to be quiet while he led him by the hand on a convoluted route to his chambers. How Soonyoung knew such an obscure route intrigued Seokmin, but he didn’t ask in fear of being heard by someone else.

 

When they finally reached Soonyoung’s chambers, the Crown Prince ushered the other inside before closing the doors behind himself and leaning back against the sturdy wooden beam beside them with a relieved huff. Seokmin found himself stood right in front of the other and he looked down at him with wonder and apprehension. Soonyoung stayed leaning against the beam, hands creeping up Seokmin’s chest and over his shoulders to wind around his neck, “What’s wrong?”

 

Seokmin was now pressed against the Crown Prince and he spoke honestly to the other in a low tone, “This feels wrong.”

 

“Being here with me?” Soonyoung questioned, sadness in his expression.

 

“No, being here in the castle. I shouldn’t be here.”

 

Soonyoung could hear, see and even feel how anxious Seokmin was with the way his shoulders were tensed, “Maybe you shouldn’t be in the castle but you  **_belong here_ ** , right here in my arms.”

 

Seokmin felt the weight and warmth of the words squash any of his previous anxieties and he became filled with the desire to kiss the other, moving in slowly and stopping centimetres from the other’s lips, “May I kiss you, Your Highness?”

 

Soonyoung swallowed thickly, thinking that the question and the formality of it should not have affected him as much as it did, “You may.”

 

Seokmin kissed him gently, unsure, but somehow it felt right and he could feel that Soonyoung felt the same. Soonyoung threaded his fingers into the hair at the nape of Seokmin’s neck and the latter shivered, feeling like sparks were dancing along his skin. He held Soonyoung by the hip with one hand and angled his face with the other as their kiss deepened.

 

Seokmin could tell that this was not the Crown Prince’s first kiss by the way he moved his lips and slyly slipped his tongue into Seokmin’s mouth. However, the latter felt no jealousy in that regard as this was also not his own first kiss; Soonyoung could tell by the way he reciprocated the introduction of his tongue.

 

Pulling out of the kiss, Seokmin smiled at the way Soonyoung tried to chase his lips but he didn’t allow them to reconnect. Instead he kissed along Soonyoung’s jawline and sucked on the patch of skin over his jugular, making Soonyoung arch his back off of the wall while leaning his head back against it. 

 

Soonyoung dropped his hands down from around Seokmin’s neck to undo the ribbon holding the blue robe closed; Seokmin didn’t even notice until he felt Soonyoung’s hands leaving trails of hot shivers along his sides, a robe being the only item of clothing the pair are each wearing.

 

“Seokmin,” came a breathy sigh from near his ear and the one with that name shivered at hearing the other say it aloud. 

 

He stood back up straight to look at the Crown Prince and leaned in to kiss him again, asking gently between pecks, “Say my name again.”

 

“Seokmin,” Soonyoung said slightly louder, slightly steadier and Seokmin preened at the sound and sight of Soonyoung’s lips forming his name.

 

“God, it sounds so nice coming from your mouth,” Seokmin almost moaned causing Soonyoung to chuckle, “Are you laughing at me,  _ Soonyoung? _ ”

 

His chuckling ceased and his eyes widened in understanding, “ _ Oh. _ ”

 

Seokmin smiled, “See?”

 

“Say it again.”

 

Seokmin hummed in a teasing manner, “I don’t know if I should, Your Highness, You did just laugh at me, after all.”

 

Soonyoung narrowed his eyes at the challenge and spoke with a more authoritative tone, “Say it again.”

 

“Make me, Your Highness,” Seokmin smirked, enjoying teasing the other despite the fact that he could feel the other’s frustration.

 

Soonyoung huffed and pushed Seokmin backwards, leading him across the room till he could shove the younger back onto his bed where he then crawled on top of him and kissed him again. The liplock was brief as Soonyoung busied himself with leaving a trail of kisses down Seokmin’s neck, chest and abdomen before getting to his navel and looking up to see the other watching him with aroused intrigue.

 

“Are you still not gonna say it?”

 

Seokmin opened his mouth, maybe to say it and maybe not, but Soonyoung would never know due to his mother’s voice sounding from outside his door, “Soonyoung?”

 

Seokmin’s eyes widened and he whispered in fear, “Is that the  _ Queen? _ ”

 

Soonyoung jumped up and dragged Seokmin with him, pulling some floorboards up to urge Seokmin to get into the gap, “One moment, mother! I just returned from bathing.”

 

He could practically hear his mother’s eye roll, “I’ve seen you naked plenty of times, I’m coming in.”

 

“Just a minute!” Soonyoung urged, trying to shove the planks on top of Seokmin in a frenzy, probably hurting the younger but too scared to comprehend the fact presently.

 

The door opened and Seokmin genuinely believed that these would be his last few living moments.

｡ﾟ･.*☆ﾟ━

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for any typos;; 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading :D Kudos are much appreciated and I really can't express how much motivation comments give me for the next chapter, and I don't have the next chapter planned at all, so please do leave a comment and let me know what you think!! <3
> 
> ☆ [hmu on twitter! @xiiaeo](https://twitter.com/xiiaeo) ☆


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